Tire Siping

[Pit Bull]

Are Michelin XPS Rib tires siped from the factory? If not where do you get tires siped? I've checked with some tire stores around town and they have never heard of siping.



Thanks for any information you might have and pointing me in the right direction.

 

[jwdeeming]

Siping may be the greatest thing since sliced bread on asphalt, but when I got talked into it, I was not told that it's less than ideal if you do a lot of driving on gravel roads. I live on a gravel road and found that the siping caused a lot of little chunks to be broken off. Ask your tire dealer about this before you have it done.



My 2c.



JimD

 

[TPCDrafting]

Tire stores that have never heard of siping??? It's been around for many years now. Directions to my house include "Turn off the paved road" so I've never had a set. I'm not sure if the Mich's are siped or not. I was just looking at them yesterday, ended up with bfg's

 

[willyslover]

PB... go to the Mich. site. . all the info is there

I run the XPS traction in stock format and they are fine in all conditions including snow and roocks... don't do much 4x4 in my 3500 [other than snow] but love the tire

 

[exfuzz01]

siping

I had the tires on a Ford Explorer siped several yrs ago. Gave them a lot more traction in wet weather. Discount Tires is the place where I had mine done.

 

[illflem]

I think the Michelins may already be siped. I wouldn't even consider not getting my tires siped, do it on all the rigs. 80k on my siped Toyos with a mile and half gravel driveway. If it's not done right they will chunk off. Lots of the off road guys swear by it. http://www.can4x4.com/articles/siping.html

 

[Steve Campbell]

I used to have my own tire siper...

wish I had not sold it.



Illflem said... "If it's not done right they will chunk off. " Boy there was a lesson learned there. Traction lugs should not be siped. The "continuous" tread down the center of some traction tires will sipe fine with few problems under normal circumstances. Siping "lugs" leads to big problems IMO.



If you go to "Bills" attached site and look at the tire in the upper right, you will notice that the center of the tire is siped and the lugs on the edge are not. IMO, that is the proper method for a traction tire. Highway tires can be siped to the edge.

 

[JJW_ND]

Siping really helps winter traction

The siping machines I have seen cut about a 1/2" wide cut around the entire circumfrence of the tire and them the operator adjusts the cutter over to do the same, just over slightly. You can cut the entire face or just parts of it in 1/2" increments.



I have heard of problems running alot of gravel. I have also seen the same tread destroyed prematurely running gravel even when not siped.



My experience with siping when pulling hard or hauling heavy is to only sipe 1/2 or less the tread depth. If running emtpy and easy on tire you can sipe full depth from the get go.



I have also siped the entire face even on Toyo M55. I have experience some pretty bad feathering from full sipes, high HP, lots of long hard pulling. These feather tire provide unbelievable traction in reverse as the feahters are all directional.



But I also got 50 - 70K out of siped M55 with lots of pulling miles. Even with less then 5/32 thread left, sipe tires get you by on ice roads.



jjw

ND

 

[Pit Bull]

Thanks everyone for the info. I looked at the Michelin XPS Rib's today and they are siped from the factory on the inside treads. I'm going to eventually buy these for my steer wheels and run the LTX M/S on the rear dually wheels. I will then drive my wifes Landcruiser with the BFG A/T KO's whenever we get a big snow storm and they don't have the roads cleared. Where I live that only happen a couple of times a year (for a few hours). I have found that the XPS Ribs are Michelins highest rated tire for wear and that is what I need with that heavy diesel up front. They are also rated very high for rain and ice. guess it is the sipping. If this truck was my only vehicle I would run an AT tread so I could get around all year round and just put up with the increased wear.